


Lyman For Congress

by mlea7675



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Canon Relationships, Gen, Political Campaigns, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27268885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlea7675/pseuds/mlea7675
Summary: An interview with Delegate and 8th Congressional District Candidate Donna Lyman. Set in August 2024, three months before the Midterm Election. Assumes Sam was re-elected, Donna resigned as Chief of Staff to run for the MD House of Delegates and Lou took over.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Lyman For Congress

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Here’s a new story for you all! This will be a one-shot, but it’s one I’ve been teasing for a while now-Donna running for Congress. Hope you enjoy, please read and review!

When Georgetown junior and  _ Georgetown Hoya  _ managing editor Trenton Lucas walked into the busy campaign office, he had to pinch himself to convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming. After spending his whole life in California, he was now fully invested in DC politics. His mom had pushed him to go to UCLA, but he needed to strike out on his own. So, Washington DC it was. 

He couldn’t believe how easy it had been to secure an interview with this Congressional candidate, either; he expected to have to give an arm and a leg. 

But Delegate Donna Lyman-now a Congressional candidate for the Maryland 8th District in the House of Representatives-had been thrilled to do the interview for her alma mater. 

Finding his mind wandering, he ran through what he knew about her so far. A four-year member of the Maryland House of Delegates, a three-presidency West Wing veteran, a spokesperson for two Presidential campaigns and Communications Director for a third, with a Bachelor’s degree in Government and a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown. He admired her seemingly homegrown and approachable quality, and couldn’t wait to get to know this woman better. 

Trenton was brought back to reality by the ringing of the phone. “Lyman for Congress.” said a short blonde woman into the receiver. Trenton recognized the woman from somewhere, but he wasn’t sure from what. 

Shaking his head, he stepped over to a desk, where an attractive brunette-only about a year or two older than him, he noted-was reading over some papers. 

“Excuse me.” he said in his politest voice. 

The girl looked up. “Hi.” 

Trenton smiled back. “Hi. I’m here to do an interview with Delegate Lyman.” 

Her eyes lit up. “You’re from the  _ Hoya?”  _

“Yeah.” Trenton said. “You know about it?” 

“I’ve overheard a few things. I go to Hopkins, but still.” she said, shrugging. “Come with me, I’ll take you back.” 

As the two walked back to the office, Trenton took a look at her. Again, she looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her. 

“So, what do you do here?” he asked. 

“I’m an intern. I’m a senior majoring in poli-sci, and my mom thought this would be a good way to get my foot in the door. Politics is kind of a family thing. How about you? What’s your major?” 

“Government, with a minor in Journalism.” He answered. “You said politics was a family thing?” 

She nodded. “My parents both worked for the government. My mom used to be a Congresswoman.” 

Trenton was starting to put the pieces together. “What did you say your name was?” 

“Molly Ziegler.” she finally said. 

His eyes bugged out. “You’re…” 

“Vice-President Wyatt’s daughter, yes.” Molly finished. “And with that, here we are at Delegate Lyman’s office.” She knocked lightly. 

“Come in!” said a voice from within. 

Molly opened the door, and they entered. “Delegate Lyman, this is…” She trailed off, realizing she hadn’t gotten his name. 

“Trenton Lucas, ma’am.” Trenton said, sticking out his hand. “I’m from the  _ Georgetown Hoya.  _ We corresponded over email.” 

In his opinion, Donna Lyman hadn’t changed a bit from the early pictures of her in the  _ Washington Post  _ that he had found. She rose from her chair and walked around her desk to greet him. 

“Yes, of course!” she greeted. “It’s so nice to meet you.” 

“You as well, ma’am. I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by the  _ Hoya.”  _

“It was no trouble. I love the idea of reaching young people and getting them involved in politics. Shall we sit?” Donna said, gesturing to the sitting area in her office. 

The pair sat down, and Trenton pulled out his recorder. “You don’t mind if I record this, do you?” 

“Not at all. Thank you for asking.” Donna told him. “I meant to ask you before, but are you any relation to Joey Lucas?” 

“Yes, she’s my mother.” Trenton replied. “You know her?” 

Donna nodded fondly, obviously remembering years past. “Joey and I have known each other since the beginning of the Bartlet Administration.” 

“I’ll tell her I saw you when I video-call her tonight.” 

“Please do.” 

“Now, Delegate Lyman-may I call you Delegate?” 

“That’s fine.” Donna replied, nodding quickly. 

“So, first I want to congratulate you on the success your campaign has had so far.” 

“Thank you. That’s mostly been the work of my campaign manager, Annabeth.” 

“Annabeth Schott?” 

“Yes, you’ve heard of her?” 

“Only in relation to the First Lady’s office, and then when I set up the interview with you.” He suddenly realized that was the woman he had seen answering the phone out in the office. “So, this profile is really about our successful alumni, but we also want to get an in-depth interview with one of our local Congressional candidates. A lot of people are aware of your successes, but not a lot of people are aware of your story.” 

“Ah. I see.” 

“You began in politics in 1998, is that right?” 

“Yes, I was hired as an executive assistant under Josh Lyman, the Senior Political Director of Bartlet For America.” 

Trenton stopped writing. “Josh Lyman, your husband?” 

“Yes. We only began a romantic relationship when both of us were on the Santos campaign.” 

“Okay. So, the $40,000 question. What made you get into politics?” 

At this, Donna laughed a little. “I guess I’ve always been...politically aware, so to speak. I majored in political science for a while at college, before I switched majors, but you probably don’t want to know all of that.” 

“No, that’s OK. That was actually one of my questions next. You didn’t get your Bachelor’s degree until well into Santos’ second term. Was there a reason for that?” 

“Not a very good one.” Donna admitted. 

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” 

“No, no. I want to. I...I dropped out for a guy. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I did get out of the relationship, which is what I want people to take away from it.” 

“But you went back.” Trenton pointed out. “You went back and you finished what you started, even after you had achieved all these career heights without college.” 

“Yes, I did. I’m proud that I did that.” She paused. “Oh, I’m sorry, we got off-topic. What was the original question?” 

“What made you…” 

“What made me choose politics, yes. Um...I wanted to do something for myself, by myself, and I was hearing Jed Bartlet’s name every time I turned on the radio, and I thought,  _ That’s the kind of candidate I could get behind.  _ So, I got in my car, drove to New Hampshire, and didn’t look back. And once I was there, I just fell in love with the work and the drive.” 

“Thank you. So, you worked in the White House for almost the entirety of the Bartlet Administration, and then you started working for then-Vice President Russell, and then President Santos. What was that like, working on a campaign again?” 

“It was...exhilarating. More than anything in this line of work, it’s the service that I love the most. Really making a difference.” 

“Are you still in touch with your old coworkers? CJ Cregg, Toby Ziegler?” 

“Mm-hmm. We try to talk about once a month, see each other once or twice a year. I’ve really valued their friendship and our relationships.” 

“And speaking of relationships, you held down a Chief of Staff job in the Santos White House while getting married, raising four kids, and going to school part-time. How did you do it?” 

“I was fortunate to have a very understanding boss.” Trenton smiled. “No, seriously, I was extremely fortunate to work for a woman like Helen Santos, a woman who understood family commitments and wasn’t afraid to put her family first. That’s what I most admire about her.” 

“Do you still keep in touch with Helen Santos?” 

“Yeah, I do. Not often, but...especially since I’ve gotten into politics myself, she’s done a few events for me.” 

“You kind of disappeared from the politics scene for a bit after President Santos left office. Can you talk a little about that?” 

“Sure. You know, for all Mrs. Santos did to try and make my life easier, there were still days and nights where I felt like I was barely home. And then, in 2014, two things happened that kind of sealed the deal for me.” 

“Which were?” 

“In February of that year, my daughters were involved in a school shooting, and it took them both a while to recover. And then, I found out that my youngest son was going to be born with Down syndrome. I realized that my children had to take priority. That’s why I kind of took a break from politics. I enrolled in an online program to get my Master’s, and I was still able to focus on giving the kids what they needed.” Donna found herself looking over at her desk, where a photo of her children had a prominent spot. 

“But you came back. Was it an easy decision? A difficult one?” 

“I felt a little better going back into politics when President Seaborn asked me to be his campaign’s Communications Director, but it was still a difficult decision. Especially when he asked me to be his Chief of Staff.” 

“How were you able to arrive at a decision?” Trenton was genuinely curious now. He had nearly forgotten that he was interviewing her: he was that enthralled by her story. 

“It took a lot of discussion and a lot of thinking, but I realized that I wanted to serve the President and that it was an honor to be asked. And then, he asked me if I would serve at least a year just to get him off the ground. That was a commitment I knew I could make.” 

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking about your accomplishments behind the scenes, so to speak. But what made you decide to run for office yourself?” 

“Ah. That’s an interesting question, I’m glad you asked. Um...I guess it’s always been something in the back of my head. It’s interesting, after Santos was re-elected for a second term, Josh turned to me and said, ‘The next campaign I run, it’s going to be yours.’ And I always thought he was kidding, but then, a few years later, when we started seriously discussing what we were going to do after the White House, I realized he was dead serious.” 

“But you wanted to run?” 

“I did. I want to make a difference in this world, and I want to make the world a better place for my children, and everyone who comes after them.” 

“That’s a good quote.” Trenton complimented. 

“Thank you.” 

“So, you got elected to the House of Delegates, and now we’re up to the present. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions of a political nature?” 

“Absolutely not. Shoot.” 

“What’s the biggest issue you want to tackle if you’re elected to Congress?” 

“Gun violence and mental health reform.” 

“Both of which, I assume, are of a personal nature to you?” Trenton knew about Rosslyn, and she had told him about the school shooting. 

“Yes. My husband, myself, and my daughter have all struggled with violence-related PTSD. Not enough has been done about it, and I intend to change that, one bill at a time.” 

“Well, that concludes all the questions I have. Do you have any questions for me?” 

“What are you majoring in?” 

“Government, with a minor in journalism.” 

“What will you do with your degree?” 

“I was thinking policy analysis, maybe polling.” 

“Take after your mom?” 

“Yeah.” Trenton said, smiling. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Annabeth entered. Both stood up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have your interview with WBAL at 5:00.” 

“I haven’t forgotten.” Donna assured her. “Annabeth, this is Trenton Lucas, the reporter from the  _ Hoya.”  _

“Ah! Good to meet you.” Annabeth said, firmly shaking his hand. “It’s good to have young kids like you interested in politics.” 

“Thank you.” Trenton replied, before turning back to Donna. “Well, I won’t keep you. It was nice to meet you, thank you so much for the interview, and I will let you know when it’s been published so you can receive a copy.” 

“Thank you, Trenton.” Donna replied. “Keep doing what you’re doing, okay? Decisions are made by those who show up.” 

Trenton nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

He had no doubt in his mind, as he left that day, that even if the Delegate didn’t win in November, this would not be the last the world had heard from Donna Lyman. 

… 

Three months later, Trenton watched from the hotel ballroom as the midterm election results poured in. Molly, whom he had kept in touch with, had gotten him a ticket to the Election Night victory party, and he was soaking in every minute. He had also brought his mom as a guest, and he had enjoyed watching her reunite with the Lymans. 

Now, it was the moment of truth. 

“We are now ready to call the Maryland 8th for Delegate Donnatella Lyman-” 

No one heard the next words. Cheers broke out in the room as everyone began to celebrate their victory. 

Trenton signed the good news to his mom, who hugged him excitedly. He saw Molly from across the room and flashed her a thumbs-up sign. 

Then, the cheers got louder as Donna, Josh, and her kids came onto the stage. As Donna took the stage to make her victory speech, Trenton watched her in awe. He couldn’t wait to see what Congresswoman-Elect Lyman would do next with her life. 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story! Please let me know what you thought!


End file.
